The World is Flat worksheet

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 1: While I Was Sleeping750 or 25 Prestige PointsName:_____________________According to the author, what were the sources of wealth in Columbusʼ Day?What are the sources of wealth in the modern day?The author states that the global competitive playing field is being leveled. What doesthis mean?What does “flattening of the world” mean?What were the key agents of change during... Globalization 1.0- Globalization 2.0- Globalization 3.0-Why does the author say that we as Americans need to be good at the “touchy feely”stuff?If you go back and read the basic economics textbooks, they will tell you: Goods aretraded, but services are consumed and produced in the same place. How does theauthor predict this process will change?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanFriedman says that work gets done where it can be done most effectively and efficiently.How does this ultimately help everyone?Why is competition for a call center job in India so intense?What is an accent neutralization class?What is homesourcing? Why is it important in todayʼs day and age?What types of jobs are being outsourced overseas besides manufacturing?On page 48, the author says that new questions will begin to emerge that will impactsome of our deepest most ingrained aspects of society. What are some of thesequestions? 1. 2. 3.What is so different about the changes in this era as compared to the changes in othereras?What is the great challenge for our time?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 2: the 10 Forces That Flattened the World1500 or 50 Prestige PointsName:______________________What is a flattener?Flattener #1: The New Age of CreativityThe fall of the Berlin Wall tipped the balance of power across the world toward______________and away from __________________.This meant that the world would now be governed from the __________ rather than the_______________.Communism was a great system for making everyone equally __________.Friedman states that the fall of the Berlin Wall allowed us to think about the worlddifferently. What does he mean?What were some of the reasons for the fall of the Wall?Why was the Windows based PC important in this process?Flattener #2: The New Age of ConnectivityWhy was the internet originally created?Why was Netscape such a huge flattening force?What is digitization? Why is the process so important?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanWhat did the Apple-PC-Windows phase coupled with the Netscape browsing emailphase enable people to do?Flattener #3:Summarize this flattener in your own words.Flattener #4:What are some variations of uploading?How does uploading make the individual more powerful?What is the intellectual commons community?How is it different from the free software community?What are bloggers? How are they changing the current flow of information?YouTube, Facebook and MySpace have become tremendously popular as of late. Whyare we so attracted to uploading?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanFlattner #5What makes India a unique labor force?Why wasnʼt this labor force used effectively until the mid 1990s?Summarize the chain of events that led to the rise of India as a valuable economicplayer.Flattner #6How did Chinaʼs joining of the WTO change the “game”?What is the difference between offshoring and outsourcing?What are the benefits of outsourcing and offshoring?According to Ohmae, why canʼt we ignore China?What is competitive flattening?What is the “China price”?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanWhy do consumers like supply chains?Why do workers hate them?Describe Wal-Martʼs headquarters.What is Wal-Martʼs corporate philosophy?What 3 things did Wal-Mart focus on relentlessly?Any efficiency generated by Wal-Mart is passed on to the______________.What are 3 criticisms of the way Wal-Mart runs itʼs business? 1. 2. 3.Flattner #8What is insourcing?Flattner #9What is informing?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanWhat are tools that we use to “in-form”?Flattner #10Who has better wireless connectivity, America or Japan?What are “steroids”? Why are they important?What are 5 steroids that the author refers to? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 3: The Triple Convergence300 or 15 Prestige PointsName:_______________By 2000, as a result of Communism...the global economic worldgrew to encompass ______ billion people.India, China, and Russia have __________ educational heritages.Once the world is flattened and new forms of collaboration made available to more andmore people, who will the winners be?What does this mean for Americans?What is a zippie?On page 226, Bill Gates refers to the ovarian lottery. What is he referring to?How has the triple convergence blown out the . . .1. Walls?2. Ceilings?3. Floors?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 4: the Great Sorting Out500 or 25 Prestige PointsName:__________________The world is moving from a vertical system to a horizontal one. What doesthis mean and why is it important?What does the author have to say about Marxʼs prediction on capitalism?What is the biggest source of friction in a flat world?The author says that rapid change can be highly destabilizing. What does this mean?The author compares Indiana to India in this section. Why does he do this?Why does the author say that Wal-Mart is important to poor and moderate incomefamilies?What 3 things can companies do with innovations? 1. 2. 3.

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanWhy do we need to protect the interests of individuals and companies that create newand useful inventions?How does the author say this should change?Ken Greer is interviewed and says “itʼs like they have cut all of the fat out of business.”What is the fat he is referring to?Do customers want “fat”? Explain.Do citizens want “fat”? Explain.

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 5: America and Free Trade500 or 25 Prestige PointsName:__________________Who was David Ricardo? Summarize his famous free-trade theory.How is the world different now than it was in Ricardoʼs time?What is the simple message of this chapter?What is the lump of labor theory?Why is the theory wrong?What is the proof that the theory is wrong?What types of Americans will have trouble competing in this flat world?What must Americans do to be competitive in a flat world?Will an increase in knowledge based workers lead to a decrease in their pay? Explain.

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanWill an increase in manual labor jobs lead to a decrease in their pay? Explain.There may be a limit to the number of good _________ jobs in the world, but there is nolimit to the number of _________ generated jobs in the world.Are the Indians and the Chinese racing us to the “bottom” or the “top”? Explain.Why are free markets criticized by some?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 6: the Untouchables500 or 25 Prestige PointsName:__________________Every young American should think of themselves as competing against…In many global industries today, you have to justify your job every day with…What are people in China and India starving for now?The key to thriving in todayʼs global economy is to make yourself ______________.According to the author, what is an “untouchable”?Most lost jobs get __________ and ____________.Who will those untouchables be in the new global economy? 1. 2. 3.Jobs of the new middle which include jobs in…Why does the author claim it is important to be a great explainer?Kids, like you, in the future will have to be adaptable. Gene Sperling, the formereconomic adviser to President Clinton says, “They (kids) have to prepare like someonewho is training for the _____________, but doesnʼt know what __________ they aregoing to __________.

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 7: The Right Stuff500 or 25 Prestige PointsName:______________________What are parents now beginning to worry about in an economic sense?What are the four skill sets and attitudes that need to be taught to todayʼs Americanstudent?1. The ability to learn how to __________.a. What advice does the author give to high school students in his lecture at a St.Paul high school? Why does he advise students to do this?2. Passion and ______________.b. The author says that curiosity matters more than anything. Why does he say this?3. You need to like ____________. People skills will become more valuable than___________skills.4. How to nurture more of your _______ brain as well as your __________.What are right brain skills?The author claims that America, in theory has all that it takes to produce the jobs andeducate the sorts of people who will thrive in a flat world. What important features ofthe American economy does the author list.1. We have a relatively __________, ____________ free__________ economy.2. We have a network of __________________3. We reward ________ taking.

The World is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman4. We have the best _________ and most efficient _________ markets in the world________ for taking _____________________________________.5. The sheer _________ of American society.6. The quality of American ___________ property ______________.7. The most flexible __________ laws in the world.8. __________ stabilty.9. A high level of _____________.Why is trust in the American economy important?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 8: the Quiet Crisis750 or 35 Prestige PointsName:__________________The classic wealthy family begins to squander its wealth by the__________ generation.Describe the first generation of wealthy families.Describe the second generation.According to the author when did America begin to coast? Why then?Do you personally think that we are in the “third generation” as a group of Americans?Explain.Why does the author say that we are in a “crisis” right now?Friedman says that in the age of flatness wealth will gradually gravitate to countries that: 1. 2. 3.Emphasis on what two subject areas has declined in the US?Why, does the author claim, is this is a problem?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanFriedman states that it never occurs to many young people to pursue careers in thesciences because “people want to do stuff that is fun.” How do we motivate the youth ofAmerica to go into “boring” subject areas?What is dirty little secret #3 described by the author in this chapter?What is Indiaʼs big advantage over the Chinese and Russians? What is the advantagethat Indians have over Americans?What is the “American Idol” problem?Summarize the point made by the teacher in his letter to Friedman.What is the problem with a nation having natural resources?How does the US rank in terms of broadband internet and cell phone usage around theworld? Why should the Americans care?At the end of the chapter the author includes the quote, “when you study history andlook at every civilization that has grown up and died off, they all leave one remnant.”What is this remnant and what is the importance of this quote?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 9: This Is Not a Test650 or 30 Prestige PointsName:______________________The main challenge to America today comes from those who practice…What is compassionate flatism?What is the dangerous illusion that the author refers at the beginning of the chapter?What was the point of the speech made by John F. Kennedy to Congress on May 25,1961?What does Friedman say is the job of government in a flat world?According to Friedman are politicians doing this?What government can and must guarantee people is the chance to makethemselves______________________.

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanWhat benefits would our nation receive if President Bush were to announce a nationalscience initiative to become energy independent?What are the two muscles that workers in a flat world need? Why are they needed?According to entrepreneurs interviewed in the book, what is the main reason for movingfactories abroad to other nations?What is tertiary education? Why does the author claim it is important?How would wage insurance work? Do you think this is a good idea or a waste ofmoney?Why benefits do we receive by being compassionate to others who face unemploymentdue to outdated skills?What type of parenting is the author calling for? Why is he calling for this type ofparenting?What is delayed gratification? Why is it important?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 10: the Virgin of Guadalupe350 or 20 Prestige PointsName:___________________According to the author how do poor people growout of poverty?According to the IFC report, if you want to create productive jobs and stimulate thegrowth of new business what needs to happen?According to the IFC is government regulation a good or bad thing?Summarize the story told about Ireland in this chapter. Why is this story told?What are the key cultural values that will lead to productivity and wealth according toDavid Landes?Does the author seem to think that it is more important for a culture to be exclusive orinclusive of other cultural practices?Why does the author say that Muslim countries have been struggling as of late?

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 12: The Unflat World: No Guns or Cell Phones Allowed1500 or 50 Prestige PointsName:____________________You must have completed all previous chapter worksheets to be eligible for thisextra credit.In 5 paragraphs explain the dark side of the flattening process that Friedman has writtenabout in the World is Flat. Refer to examples from this chapter.

The World is Flat - Thomas L. FriedmanChapter 14: The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention1500 or 50 Prestige PointsName:_______________________You must have completed all previous chapter worksheets to be eligible for thisextra credit.Answer the following questions in an essay consisting of 5 paragraphs. Refer toexamples from this chapter in your response.*What is the Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention?*What is the Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention?*What is the difference between the two ideas?*Do you agree or disagree with the authors main ideas presented in this chapter?Explain.